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...................................... YAY.

168 hours in a week, with 18 hours spent working.

That leaves 150 hours. 6 hours are spent sleeping everyday, so that leaves 108 hours, give or take.

From that 108 hours, about another 6 are spent travelling, and 20 hours outdoors.

That would leave an impressive 82 hours a week, no?

Convert that back into days, and that would be a little longer than three WHOLE days. Imagine what you could do in 3 whole days.

Well, Don does.

He plays the different characters set in a mythical land of Rune Midgard, bound in a brawl between the forces of angels and demons trying to reign supremacy. All knowing that should evil hold absolute power, the destruction of the land would begin.

Yes, NINE characters in these 82 hours.

- - -

And they await their death in this incessant brawl...

...For Ragnarok approaches.

Until then, lest the victor is known, none shall be enlightened...

... So aid us now, young warrior. Would you aid us in our quest towards Deliverance?

- - -

Don started off with his character having only a knife in her hand and a cotton shirt on her back.

He fought his way through the monster-infested lands, killing anything and everything he could get his weapon in. Pink slimes, caterpillars, butterflies, hornets, snakes...

A tune of victory was a heard as the character hit a new growth in experience, allowing her to gain new abilities and weild stronger equipment. At level 10, she could now advance into her first job, which would boost her powers greatly. Now a novice, the only skill she had was to "Play Dead". This useful skill allows you to fake your death, prompting the mosnter you were fighting to leave you alone. Whilst useful, this skill pales in comparison to the other new abilities which one would learn having a more advanced job.

This server being a private one, Don was spared the need of going through the job quest which he has already completed at least five times before in other servers.

- - -

"Which job would you like to be in?"

Strength and integrity would bode you well in the journey of becoming a swordswoman, but be forewarned, the journey is arduous and would need much preparation.

Agility and stealth? Your passion will soon arrive in being a thief. Scorn will follow your footsteps, and your only shelter lies in the shadows.

Mystics tell of a young woman who would one day master the art of conjuring the very essences of earth, fire and water. Magicians start out defenceless, but adapt quickly to their environment, summoning the inner strength in them to manipulate their surroundings and create... Magic.

Let faith guide you in your quest for acolyte-hood. Your true calling may lie with God after all. Your skills create, not destroy. That, and there are an awful lot of undeads all over the place now...

- - -

Meh.

Don chose the swordswoman, because sword-wielding girls are hawt.

Bash, magnum break! Endure!

... And so, hundreds if not thousands of monsters were killed as Dawny chopped and sliced her way to knighthood. Her powers will be amplified three-fold as she would be able to use abilities relating to one of the knights' strongest weapons, the spear.

Starting out running away from snakes and over-grown wild boars, Dawny was now able to take on minotaurs and gryffins. Her avian steed by her bridle, she stabbed countless animated soils and various mini-bosses to gain strength and experience. Slowly but surely, she has undoubtedly joined the fight between good and evil.

Of course, Dawny took the path of the light.

Because it's cooler.

- - -

Brandish Spear! Pierce! Bowling Bash!

The demon Dullahan cowered into his now-cracked armour as Dawn pierces through its defences, her holy-water-tipped oridecon spear tip searing into the tormented soul of the creature, its moan echo-ing through the deadly silence of Niflheim field.

"Yeah! Level 94!" Don cheered, as he just attained a new level on his knightess. She would be just a bit stronger now, with a higher damage achieved with each pierce.

There has to be preparation soon, for once the attainment of Level 99 comes the path of reincairnation. This path will lead Dawny towards transcedence, and soon she will become one of the strongest in the brawl to aid her angelic peers, with her newfound abilities and strengths.

Also, she would get to kick some MAJOR ass.

She would have to go through this INSANE test of loyalty and prove her perserverance to Valhalla and the gods.

One of the tasks include collecting various ietms through the course of your training.

Donovan presents you...

The 70 odd items for Deliverance Transcendence

25x Daenggie
25x Short Daenggie
25x Worn out Scroll
25x Skirt of Virgin
25x Wing of Red Bat
5x Matchstick
5x Piece of Cake
25x Manacles
25x Candy
25x Shining scale
1x 3-carat diamond
25x Rotten Bandage
1x Matyr's Leash
25x Memento
25x Cultish Masque
25x Broken Sword
5x Flame Heart
25x Ancient Lips
25x Detonator
25x Coral Reef
5x Mystic Frozen
25x Fabric
1x Emperium
1x Fake Angel's Wing
25x Maneater Blossom
25x Leopard Claw
25x Giant Butterfly Wing
25x Strange Steel Piece
5x Great Nature
25x Solid Shell
25x Shoulder Protector
25x Wooden Heart
25x Tough Vines
25x Sharp Leaf
25x Slingshot
25x Sharp paper
25x Poisonous Toad Skin
25x Worn-Out Kimono
25x Toxic Gas
25x Battered Kettle
5x Fluorescent Liquid
25x Flashlight
25x Old Pick
25x Little ghost doll
25x Denture from Dragon Mask
25x Dragon Horn
25x Lantern
25x Orc's Fang
5x Royal Jelly
25x Elder pixie's moustache
25x Festival Mask
25x Vane
25x Leopard Skin
25x Clock Hand
25x Little evil wing
25x Burning hair
25x Burning Heart
25x Live Coal
25x Earthworm peeling
25x Wing of dragonfly
25x Turtle Shell
25x Ice Cubic
25x Broken Shell
5x Hand of God
25x Red frame
5x Ice cream
25x Worn out page
25x Worn out prison uniform
25x Mud lump
25x Ectoplasm
25x Hung Doll
25x Broken Needle

- - -

It is not as easy as it seems to get those. At least ten of them are hard-to-get items because they're dropped by high level monsters. And such monsters are rare, too. One such instance would be the five matchsticks. Five seems to be a reasonable amount, no?

Dropped by only the monster Chepet, this matchstick can only be obtained once every hour, for that particular monster spawns only once every hour. Taking that the hunting time is negligible... It would take Don five hours to obtain all five matchsticks. He could always buy all five for a million zennies, but that woul be such a waste.

So then, off to hunting beasts, undeads, and demons.

Oh, and if Dawny finally completes the item list?

She would have to take the final test...

... To face Fenrir, guardian of the underworld.
He's twice as large, and thrice as strong. Oh, and he can summon minions to aid him.

.
..
...
..
.

...Challenging, no?

This is an adaptation from a story that have been through countless emails, and was spotted by the author on 4ever-loves.blogspot.com.

The author thanks Vincent for contributing such a story.

...
..
.

You Should Let Me Love You

As I sat there in English class during the first grade, my eyes fell upon the girl next to me. Everyone knew that the both of us were best friends, nothing more. I couldn't help but stare at her, admiring her every quality.

But it wasn't of her physical appearance that attracted; It was in fact her heart of gold. She was the perfect girl, and it was that from that fact that I felt that I wasn't good enough for her.

Still, I wanted to love her, and for her to love me too. But it wasn't to be, for I knew that it was only going to be platonic. That was most probably the way she would have felt.

Platonic. Nothing More.

- - - - -

It was the seventh grade.

After class, she walks up to me and asks me for the notes she had missed the day before. I handed them to her dutifully.

She said "thanks" and gave me a kiss on the cheek.

I wanted to tell her, I wanted her to know...
...that I don't want us to just be friends.

For I love her; but I'm just too shy, and I don't know why.

- - - - -

It was the eleventh grade.

The phone rang with such intensity. I picked up the phone, knowing it was her. And it was.
She was in tears, mumbling on and on about how her love had broken her heart.

She asks for company, and I agreed. As I sat next to her on the sofa, I stared at her soft, tear-laden eyes, wishing she was mine. After one movie, two hours and three bags of chips, she decided to go to sleep.

She looked at me with those doe-like eyes , said "thanks" and gave me a kiss on the cheek.

I wanted to tell her, I wanted her to know...
...that I don't want us to just be friends.

For I love her; but I'm just too shy, and I don't know why.

- - - - -

It was the senior year.

She walked over to my locker on the day before prom.

"My date is sick," she said.

That would make the both of us dateless, for I didn't have a date myself.

Back in the 7th grade, we made a promise that if neither of us had dates for prom, we would go together as "best friends". And only "best friends".

So we did.

Prom night went by smoothly, and after everything was over, I found myself standing on the steps of her house.

As we looked into each other's eyes... I wanted her to be mine, but I knew that it was not to be. For I knew that she thought us just as friends, most probably.

"I had the best time, thanks!" She said, as she gave me a kiss on the cheek.

I wanted to tell her, I wanted her to know...
...that I don't want us to just be friends.

For I love her; but I'm just too shy, and I don't know why.

- - - - -

It was Graduation Day.

It has been a decade since I've known her. Both of us have graduated with high honours, our bachelors and diplomas attained after much hard work. We have felt dejected on various occassions while mugging for the exams, its contents a blur to us. Yet, through our support for each other did we perservere.

And now, we've finally succeeded.

Have we?

I looked on with a smile, watching her waltz up the podium to receive her diploma. The happiness within her was so subtle; there was no smile, yet one could sense it from afar. She walked to the middle of the stage and gave everyone a bow. Then, during that blink of an eye, both our eyes met. She gave me a mischievous wink, then walked off.

I wanted her to be mine, but it was not to be. For I knew she didn't think of us like this. We were just friends. Only friends.

Before everyone went home, she came to me in her smock and hat, and teared as I embraced her.

"You know, you're my best friend. Thanks!" She said as she lifted her head from my shoulder.
Again, there was that kiss on my cheek.

I wanted to tell her, I wanted her to know...
...that I don't want us to just be friends.

For I love her; but I'm just too shy, and I don't know why.

- - - - -

A few years later...

Now I sit in the pews of the church. That girl is getting married now. I watched her say "I do" and drive off to her new life, married to another man.

I wanted her to be mine, but it was not to be. For I knew she didn't think of us like this. We were just friends. Only friends.

But before she drove away, she came to me and said, "You came!".

"Thanks," was what she said, before she gave me that sweet, sweet kiss on the cheek.

And that would be the last word she'll say to me.

I wanted to tell her, I wanted her to know...
...that I don't want us to just be friends.

For I love her; but I'm just too shy, and I don't know why.

- - - - -

Decades have passed, and I've lived a fruitful life. My lovely wife and her loving husband beside me, we ponder upon the coffin of the girl who used to be my "best friend".

"From dust to dust, from ashes to ashes." And so, she was sent on her way.

Her husband came to me, an aura stirring within him that seemed to displaced me.

"You should have this," he said, as he passed me the yellowish, worn-out book. "I've found this while cleaning up her room one day."

It was her diary during her high-school days.
There, at the last page of the book, scribbled messily, but surely her handwriting nonetheless, was this message:-

I stare at him wishing he was mine, but it was not to be.
Because we're friends.
And only friends.
I want to tell him, I want him to know...
...that I don't want us to just be friends.

For I love him; but I'm just too shy, and I don't know why.

Oh, how I wish he would tell me that he loved me!!

.
.
.

I wish I did too, I thought to myself.
Tears of angst flowed down that same cheek she has kissed decades ago, that very day.

I will, one day.

- - - - -

Now, as I lay upon my deathbed, I recall that best friend of mine in Heaven right now.
I would join her very soon.

My last few breaths were dedicated to muttering out these words.

I Love You.

-END-